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Kovacevic - Steelers worn path not working out

Steelerfan81

Steelerfan81

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Alvin Dupree, or Bud, as he’s been known since he was big enough to tell kids to stop calling him Alvin, sounds like a sensationally nice kid.

He’s also a superb athletic specimen at 6 feet 4, 264 pounds, with speed and strength and, per his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, he can long-jump from here to Long Island.

So yeah, maybe, just maybe the Steelers got a good one.

Maybe Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin will come up roses for investing their first-round pick in the NFL Draft last night, No. 22 overall, on this highly decorated outside linebacker from the University of Kentucky, and maybe Colbert will be vindicated eventually for declaring to us assembled media afterward, “This is a gift for us” and “We didn’t expect him to be there at 22,” or Tomlin for describing Dupree as a “unique animal.”
 
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This article is whiny and stupid.

Fact is we made 3 Super Bowls in the last 10 years with great linebackers and questionable corners. If this jackass would like to return those two Lombardi trophies, he should take that up with the Rooneys.

We're a linebacker team. Period. We dropped the ball on Jarvis, now we're making up ground. This wasn't a good pick, it was a great one.
 
Did you read the entire article? Or just what I posted?
 
I read the entire article and it is stupid. On nearly every play there are at least 3 linebackers and sometimes four we generally have 2 corners sometimes 3 and 2 safetys. Simply numbers will explain why so many linebackers are drafted. As to the cornerback position there were lots of them available but I did not look at any of them as elite, the next Rod Woodson was not there, there were some that could be good but all of them had fairly significant holes in their game in one area or another according to all the reviews.

Now when the top 3 are gone and you still have what is one of the top 3 linebackers available and both are positions of need you pick Alvin we can get the chipmunks later.
 
I agree with the point of the article. How many times have they missed? And he's right about the dink-dunk offenses now, the pass rush can't even get there before Brady fires his 5-yarders. So better coverage is the key.However, the top CBs were already gone except for Jones, and he isn't exactly a can't miss prospect.
 
I thought the article was spot on.

Our evaluation (and luck) with LB;s has been terrible and because of this our roster management has become abysmal.

We need to fill the pipeline at identified positions of need 1 year prior to them becoming a need.

It should be a source of shame to the FO to have to select yet another LB in the first round.
 
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I have zero issues with the article and honestly for all the bitching on this site about Tomlin and Colbert's inability to draft corners it actually amazes me that people take issue with the article. He makes great points. I like the pick of Dupree. He fills a need and I have no issues with it, but he's right. The game is changing. We aren't
 
The article raises some valid points. There's no denying that. But, if you look the way the draft fell you could make the argument that no matter how you looked at it, the BPA was NOT a CB. Needing a CB or OLB, the Steelers were faced with the choice of taking one of two or three OLBs that were widely projected to be top 15 talents (Dupree, Ray, Gregory) or a CB who was only recently projected into the first round. It's pretty obvious where the value at 1:22 was for the Steelers and it it wasn't at CB. It just wasn't.
 
Totally disagree with the article, given the Steelers had their lowest sack total since 1989(!) < or something like that.

It also reflects the type of bellyaching best left for messageboards like this one.

Really, the only corner left worth taking was Byron Jones, and I think the overall value of Dupree simply exceeded that. Hence the reason the Steelers ran to the podium with their pick.
 
Super Dave said:
I thought the article was spot on.

Our evaluation (and luck) with LB;s has been terrible and because of this our roster management has become abysmal.

We need to fill the pipeline at identified positions of need 1 year prior to them becoming a need.

It should be a source of shame to the FO to have to select yet another LB in the first round.
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Absolutely. 3 LBs at #1 in past 3 years; if one was a CB, we are likely feeling much better today.

That being said, Dupree was BPA and a good value pick, would seem to fill an embarrassing need. That just shifts the embarrassment to the secondary, where the recent drafting has been very poor in a passing league....
 
The article was pretty whiny...

Who really cares about the past, or how many LB's have been choose before- RIGHT NOW we need pass rushing OLB's and we got both BPA and a position of need.

We were getting killed by dink-dunk QB's because of our 10 yard cushions. Hopefully with a new DC, and Shazier there for the underneath stuff, it shouldnt be too much of a problem.
 
Tibs said:
Totally disagree with the article, given the Steelers had their lowest sack total since 1989(!) < or something like that.

It also reflects the type of bellyaching best left for messageboards like this one.

Really, the only corner left worth taking was Byron Jones, and I think the overall value of Dupree simply exceeded that. Hence the reason the Steelers ran to the podium with their pick.
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Totally agree with the post. Dupree was a great pick. Byron Jones would have been a good pick, but the value is better with Dupree. There are CBs to be found in the later rounds. Richard Sherman was a fifth round pick (the 25th corner back selected in 2011).
 
oicu8ad said:
Totally agree with the post. Dupree was a great pick. Byron Jones would have been a good pick, but the value is better with Dupree. There are CBs to be found in the later rounds. Richard Sherman was a fifth round pick (the 25th corner back selected in 2011).
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I also think it's amazing how widely it's been ignored that with Worlids' retirement we were left with a journeyman Moats as our only option at LOLB. There was a HUGE hole there, even if Moats is a decent player, a servicable back-up and all around good guy to have on the team. It was clear as day to me that Butler wanting to improve that spot was a top priorty in getting this defense back on track. Adding a solid corner tonight will make everyone feel better, for sure.
 
Picking Jones in the first was a mistake (1). Reaching for a CB this draft would've been a mistake (2) that some argue should be done because we are thin at CB.
So making a mistake this season because we made another two seasons ago is justifiable?
 
Hopefully Dupree can set the edge in the run game and help put the defense in more 3rd and long situations where the dink and dunk isn't as effective. We absolutely need CB help but there are plenty of good players left in this draft. You don't lock into one position and take a guy who is a reach...that's how you end up taking guys like Troy Edwards.
 
Which can't miss corner did we miss on in the past 3 years in the first round? Dee Miliner? Xavier Rhodes? Desmond Trufant? CB is a crap shoot. There has been ZERO value in drafting a CB the past 3 years where we draft. You're better off drafting Linemen or LBs in the first round. And just to make a point, the type of LB we have drafted has changed. We're drafting faster, more athletic LBs who can not only play the run, and rush the passer, but also make some plays in zone coverage, to stop the dink and dunks.

I'm on board with Bud. If Harrison and Porter can coach him up, he will be a monster. Harrison is already a monster with T-rex arms and 37 years of age. Why? Because he works as hard in the gym, as he does on technique. Bud's measurables dwarf Harrison, and Harrison has been the most dominant LB we have had since Lloyd. Bud is Woodley's size and Shazier's speed rolled into one package. If he utilizes his strength with his speed, he can learn and master Harrisons fake outside speed rush, stop and pop, to get to the QBs quicker than Harrison ever could.
 
Also regarding the lack of pass D, Bud Dupree is probably the best edge player on the draft on zone Defense so he can cover TEs and RB routes from the get go
 
I disagree with Dejan here.. Dupree was an incredible value at 22 and at a position of need. The need may not be as great as at CB, but with the top 3 CB's off the board, Dupree is a better value than Byron Jones in my opinion. We will have corners available to us in round 2

I am with him that we need corners, but in this particular situation, with Waynes, Johnson, and Peters off the board and Ray, Gregory, and Dupree still available.. it was a no brainer

I believe we may double up at CB in 2 and 3
 
Dupree is a little raw, but with good coaching an mentoring, he will be good.
 
You don't pass up top 10 potential at 22, especially at a position of need. I still think that we need to draft at least 2 corners and preferably both before round 5.
 
The article is right about the team having to continually draft one position. However, I disagree that they should have picked CBs instead. I can't remember one CB worth the Steelers 1st round pick. My issue that he didn't bring up is coaching and player retention. For whatever reason they let Lewis walk. They paid Allen a ton of money for no production. They let McCain walk. He isn't a great player but he's better than Blake and right now they have no depth at all. Why can't Tomlin, who is suppose to be a DB guru, find talent or even coach up a DB or two?

They were 18th in points allowed and 18th in yards. They haven't been that bad since Noll's last year in 1991. And that was against one of the worst schedules (-2.0) in the league. They didn't play against some of the best QBs like Brady, Rodgers, Manning etc. And when they did play Brees and Luck they were destroyed.

So the article is wrong about drafting CBs but not wrong on the overall lack of talent in the secondary.
 
Vader said:
The article is right about the team having to continually draft one position.
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How so? In my book they drafted three positions: Jarvis (ROLB) Shazier (ILB) and now Dupree (LOLB).
 
I'm with you Aggie. I was pimping Bud for a long time and still cannot believe he was there for us. Look, we need a pass rush and this guy can eventually provide us with one. Of course we thought or they thought Uncle Jarvis was the guy and had he been maybe we don't take Bud here but we simply had to with the uncertainty of Jones. The kid they say has a great work ethic, has all the physical traits, great combine numbers, very good college numbers, and oh yeah, he's actually going to graduate from college. That's refreshing! I like the pick. It's Bud Time! This Bud's for You!
 
Tibs said:
How so? In my book they drafted three positions: Jarvis (ROLB) Shazier (ILB) and now Dupree (LOLB).
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He was talking about LB in general I think. There are 4 LB positions but you shouldn't have to draft every single position at #1 when you have no #1 Cbs and can't defend against the pass. They don't draft every OL in the 1st round. They haven't drafted TE in the first round since Miller. I think his point is that they are piling up on LBs while ignoring other positions on defense.
 
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